Big News: “Steel Magnolias” Is Lifetime’s 3rd Most-Watched Telecast EVER!

October 9th, 2012 - By Brande Victorian

Source: Blackfilm.com

Lifetime just might be on to something. On Sunday night when the network aired the world premiere of the all-black “Steel Magnolias” remake, the film made history, becoming Lifetime’s third most-watched original telecast ever.

The flick, starring Jill Scott, Queen Latifah, Alfre Woodard, Phylicia Rashad, Condola Rashad, and Adepero Oduye brought in a record 6.5 million viewers. Interestingly, this is the best film debut since Lifetime aired the Fantasia Barino Story “Life is Not a Fairy Tale” in 2006. “Steel Magnolias” also became the number one cable movie among total viewers since 2007. In other words, this movie was a big deal.

This weekend, Lifetime aired another African American interest movie, the “Abducted: The Carlina White Story,” featuring Keke Palmer and Sherri Shepherd which also brought in high numbers, averaging 4.1 million total viewers. Rob Sharenow, Executive Vice President of Programming for Lifetime Networks said in a statement:

“We couldn’t be happier with the great response Steel Magnolias and Abducted: The Carlina White Story received from viewers this weekend. These incredible numbers speak to the powerful stories and performances delivered by amazing casts and the strong production teams behind each movie. We are very proud to have partnered with them on these very special films.”

The Lifetime junkie in me definitely hopes this means the network will start showing more African American stories. Did you catch “Steel Magnolias” or “The Carlina White Story” this weekend? What did you think?

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  • Leena

    I feel like they should have taken the movie in a completely different direction, sort of like the the most recent remake of Spiderman. I have a friend who knows the original Steel Magnolias movie word for word. He watched out for his fave scenes and found each of them sorely lacking. I think the movie should have been revamped in such a way that the ability to compare scenes or recite lines word for word was minimal. They should have done their own take, instead of the same take with a black cast.

  • dbatt001

    too bad it was a disappointment.

  • princess

    It was ok, I like The Carolina White Story better, Keke did the damn thing

  • Ay

    I’ve never seen Steel Magnolias before so I said I was gonna watch this……it was ok. Queen Latifah could’ve been acting in beauty shop or any other movie to be honest (her best role was playing Cleo in Set It Off) Everybody was indeed dry, even Phylicia Rashad. However, I was saddened by the ending, almost wanted to cry lol I gotta get around to watching the original.

  • http://www.facebook.com/shanzlite Shannon L Christian

    As touched as I was by the original Steel Magnolias with its all white cast – well known and well respected actors & actresses – I was able to truly relate to the power of the story because the cast in Sunday’s Lifetime broadcast looked like me. At first I was torn about if the entertainment factor was there because it seemed unrealistic for blacks to live the same or similar lifestyle that whites do, because that is not what we as blacks are conditioned to accept via society and media. Yet as the story progressed, I personally was able to experience the love and sacrifices of a true family. I was able to see in front of me a vision of life that is possible for anyone who chooses it.
    For me, this was not about entertainment or emotion, but about a story that I could connect with. This was beyond peering into the depicted lifestyle of whites and say, “That’s nice” when the closing credits are rolling while preparing to get back to what’s normal for me. This, to me, was an effort to send a message. I know some may think it was just a copycat story with black actors. I saw clear examples of love and community. Shamefully, I had to get those visions from a fictional depiction, but I have them now. And I can work to increase the love and community in my own life.
    I hope others do the same.

  • Surprised

    I loved the movie and all the acting. Especially Queen as the mother and Alfre Woodard’s role. No, it wasn’t as good as the original (remakes rarely are) but they didn’t do a horrible job at all. I enjoyed it and I’m happy they did the remake. I was surprised that more wasn’t changed but when you have a great script/ movie, I think it’s wise not to change much.

    • eyeconic1

      But, they lacked the emotion. They took major stuff out of the movie which could ultimately have made you like it more. I was not moved one bit. Queen’s role wasok again because they lacked the emotion. I cried better than them watching the movie (original)then they did acting in the movie and did not shed a tear this time around. I think alot of ppl are goign to jsut like it because of the cast.

    • http://www.facebook.com/shanzlite Shannon L Christian

      I agree. This movie is an acquired taste because of our conditioning by the media of what blacks can accomplish.

      • eyeconic1

        It is not black or white to me. As I stated in my first comment that southern charm is souther charm regardless of race. This movie lacked the emotion and connection. Everyone here adn everyoen that I spoke with black or white loved the first one andit was a white cast. So there is no sterotyping, there is no racism or anything. The movie lacked emotion and it was dry…period. No need to dig deeper or search for a better outcome. They took alot of the storyline out, especially the father and the husband. Her goignto into labor, the halloween costume, how she took care of her daughter in the hospital. Those scenes connected you to the movie more. The “slap her’ scene was suppose to make you laugh in the middle of a major emotionally scene. I didnt laugh nor ball. I sat there waitigng to be connected. I did not sit for 2 hours to hate it. I wanted it to be great or at least even good. It was only so so. Regardless of a black or white cast if the cast cant hold your attention, make you connect or relate. Its just not that good. No need to force it. I amnto looking at color just the storyline we all know. Let somebody remake Color Purple or Love Jones, Love or Basketball, Brown Sugar, or some movie we all love and we cant connect we will snap out. LOL!

        • Ay

          Keep in my mind this was a lifetime movie, lower budget lol

  • Adrie

    Remakes are rarely as good as the originals. As much as I love the members of the cast, it was dry and poorly acted.

  • Trisha_B

    I missed it! I fell asleep lol. But i did watch the Carlina White story. I loved it! It’s sad how her whole life was a lie. I was slightly confused in some parts. They showed her mom (Pettway) as being controlling & slightly abusive towards Carlina growing up, but then in the interview Carlina & her cousins did after the movie, they said Pettway was loving & never mistreated her but was strict. I do think it’s sad she doesn’t talk to Bio-family, but i’m sure it’s hard for her to handle. I would love another update of her in like 4 years to see how things worked out for her

    • ANTMilf

      I saw Carlina White Story Saturday night too and that was good.

    • Kitsy

      What I found to be a revelation was the fact that she waited several (5?) years after finding out Pettway wasn’t her mother before coming forward. The cousins even said they didn’t know anything about it until it was shown in the media.

      My mother and I were discussing it after the movie and she seems to believe that the settlement money was the real motivation – i.e. that Carlina found out about the money the hospital paid and placed in trust and wanted (needed) it; she just didn’t anticipate that the money would be gone and that Pettway would go to jail.

      I only somewhat agree with this because it seems that the settlement money is at the heart of the rift between Carlina and her birth family (even though Carlina says she didn’t care; but if it wasn’t an issue why was it even brought up in the interview segment?). But I also think she was confused about what to do and conflicted about getting Pettway in trouble.

      I agree with you, Trisha – I’d like to see a follow-up in a few years.

      • am

        I agree with you all about the money. After all she is her mother’s daughter (Pettway) you are who you were raised by. I feel sorry for her because she is so confused and she doesen’t understand her real moms pain. It could be that they are strangers to her and she does not have an attachment to them. The real mom will never be able to get over this situation.

        • Trisha_B

          True, i get what your guys are saying. But i also kept thinking, if they knew carlina would come back to them one day why did they spend the money that they kept saying was for her? They said they used the money b/c they needed it to survive, so how would they have survived if Carlina was never kidnapped? i believe there was a part of the movie where she said she wanted the money to move to NY to be closer to them…I feel she can’t get comfortable w/ her bio-family b/c they were being kind of pushy & smothering. They only wanted to call her Carlina (when she said she was comfortable w/ being called Netty), they wanted her to pack up her life in Atlanta & move to NY, they wanted her to leave her cousins who she loved. Like they wanted everything to be like she never left, which isn’t realistic since she is 23. I think she was overwhelmed, & w. therapy maybe she’ll be able to get w/ her bio-family

          • anonymouse

            they didn’t know if she was coming back or not

  • sweetteapie

    I think they overacted the whole movie!…they should have done something original..where they don’t have anything to compare because I liked the original movie this one was ok!..still support my sistas though!

  • kierah

    The real test will be DVD sales, Netflix downloads, on demand requests, etc. I can’t see myself sitting through this movie again.
    I’ll just pop in the original movie and cry my eyes out with Sally and Julia.

    • eyeconic1

      Girl, please I won’t even watch this movie again. Let alone, buy it or download it. I am all for supporting our black cast. But, if I don’t like it I won’t be spending my money. Regardless, of who is starrign in it. The original I can watch everytime it comes on. And would buy the original for $5 in Walmart or something. Thats about it. LOL!

  • ANTMilf

    Good for the ratings but the movie wasn’t. I rather stick to the original one.

  • http://twitter.com/VictoriaGrooves Victoria grooves

    It wasn’t good tho

  • eyeconic1

    It may have been 3rd watched. But, it was dry. I stuck with it because I wanted to give the powerful cast a chance. The movie lacked the power and the emotion of the original. So disappointing. They cut out most of the emotional scenes. Rather you black or white, southern charm is southern charm and they completely lacked it. I love the Queen but even the ending scene in the shop, one of the most powerful scenes, was dry. This is the first role where none of these characters were believable to me and you got a powerhosue cast. She did not make me drop a tear, nor did I in the whole movie. The first movie had me ballin. LOL! I think the younger generation will like this version because they don’t know the original. But for those of us who are emotionally attached to the original and the characters. Its irreplaceable. Weezer cant be replaced and neither can Sally Fields role. Sorry, somethings dont need to be remade. Peoplefeel connections with characters, especially when it is serious topics that we all go through. You can’t replace or remake that that connection. Love all the ladies regardless.

    • IllyPhilly

      Oh as part of the younger generation (for a few more years) I agree that this movie was horrible and seemed extremely missing elements.

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